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Gender Equality: An End in Itself and a Cornerstone
of Development
Gender equality is, first and foremost, a human
right. Women are entitled to live in dignity and in freedom
from want and from fear. Empowering women is also an indispensable
tool for advancing
development and reducing poverty.
Empowered women contribute to the health and productivity
of whole families and communities and to improved prospects for
the next generation. The importance of gender equality is underscored
by its inclusion as one of the eight Millennium
Development Goals that serve as a framework for halving poverty
and improving lives. As clarified in the 2005
State of World Population, gender equality is also key to achieving
the other seven goals.
Yet discrimination against women and girls - including gender-based
violence, economic
discrimination, reproductive
health inequities, and harmful
traditional practices - remains the most pervasive and persistent
form of inequality. In addition, women and girls bear enormous
hardship during and after conflict and other humanitarian
emergencies. For more than 30 years, the Fund has been in the
forefront of advocating for women, promoting legal and policy reforms
and gender-sensitive data collection, and supporting projects that
improve women's health and expand their choices in life.
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POPULATION ISSUES: Promoting Gender Equality
